If anyone had watched Boba Fett stride across the hangar in Shanwhir,
Henber, they would have wondered what had brought him to this peaceful
planet. They would have speculated about bounties and credits, but none
would have guessed what was really going on in the famous bounty hunter's
mind.
Boba himself was having a hard time sorting out his thoughts. He did not want to leave Henber, but knew that he must. As usual, willpower won out, and his legs carried him to his ship and up the ramp into it. He had turned to activate the door seals when he heard a voice, a voice he'd sworn he'd never hear again.
"Boba! Boba Fett! Wait!" Annbri was racing across the hangar towards Slave I, her blue tunic streaming behind her. Boba caught his breath when he saw her, unsure of what to do. She was the very thing he was running from, and the very thing he did not want to leave. He glanced at the door controls, then let his hand fall from them.
The hangar was deserted, save for Slave I, because of Boba's antics earlier that day. With nothing to impede her, Annbri reached Slave I in no time. She slowed as she reached the ramp, paused, and turned her brilliant blue eyes towards him. Her eyes always startled Boba, such a contrast were they to her caramel skin. Boba regarded her soundlessly from the top of the ramp.
Annbri felt suddenly shy. She walked slowly up to meet him, her eyes never leaving his visor, behind which she knew his own eyes were. When she was within a few feet of Boba, she stopped, glanced down at her shoes, then back up at him. "I wanted to say goodbye," she said quietly, "and thank you."
Amused, Boba asked, "What did I do?"
In answer, Annbri walked past him into the ship. Boba followed her to the cage area, where she stopped by the cell that had been hers. She rested her head against the bars, her back to him. "Remember? Just two weeks ago that was my home. Just two weeks ago I hated you."
Fett knew he should tell her to leave, just say goodbye and be done with her forever, but he couldn't. "Do you still hate me?"
"No, I...I don't...I," She turned around, and their eyes met, "I wanted to tell you that."
Boba stepped closer to her, his free hand gently gripping her jaw, much the way he had when he had caught her coming up behind him two weeks ago. He tilted her face towards his, pressing her body against him. "This time I snuck up on you," he whispered.
"I don't mind," she replied quietly, her arms snaking around his neck.
"Good." A guilty feeling of elation swept over Boba Fett as he clutched the trembling woman to him. What a difference a few days had made. Before, they were becoming closer; now, they were being torn apart.
"So I suppose now is when we part and never see each other again," Annbri said quietly, pressing her head to his chest, hearing his heart beating-- was it just her, or had it quickened?
Boba tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You know I can't stay here. I'm a bounty hunter, and you're Princess Danja of the royal house of Van Dessel."
"No," she said firmly, pushing him away a little so to better look him in the eye. "To you I'm always Annbri."
"Annbri was my captive, my partner, and my friend. I taught Annbri how to fire a blaster and eat a salad on Henber. You're royalty now, and I can't be part of your life."
"But I-"
"Don't say it. We can't." He pushed her away and pretended to be busy checking his gauntlets so that he didn't have to meet her eyes. "You'll find someone else, Danja, someone you can love without fear."
She understood. "Annbri," she corrected quietly as she began to leave.
Boba fumbled in his pocket and withdrew a palm-sized white box. He caught her hand and pressed the box into it.
She looked at him questioningly. "What is it for?"
"If you ever need me...use this. It's the codes to contact me directly through my helmet comm. Use it with a regular communications machine."
"Thank you." Not trusting herself to keep calm, she fled, silent tears drawing silver lines down her face.
Boba stood at the top of the ramp and watched her run. He felt as though he had swallowed a thermal detonator. Part of him wanted to run after her, to sweep her off her feet and carry her away with him to distant solar systems. The rational part of his mind won out, however, and when she was out of sight, he slammed the door controls with a typical Fett fist. Once more donning the Mandalorian helmet, he vowed to go back to the old Boba, the one he had been two weeks ago, and pretend he had never met Annbri or Danja or whoever she was. He would forget her; he would not miss her; he did not need her.
For five standard time units, he even thought he might be able to leave her completely. Shortly after Henber slid out of sight, replaced by the white tunnel that was hyperspace, he allowed himself a deep sigh. How long would it take to forget her? How long would it take for that dull ache in his chest to go away?
Boba himself was having a hard time sorting out his thoughts. He did not want to leave Henber, but knew that he must. As usual, willpower won out, and his legs carried him to his ship and up the ramp into it. He had turned to activate the door seals when he heard a voice, a voice he'd sworn he'd never hear again.
"Boba! Boba Fett! Wait!" Annbri was racing across the hangar towards Slave I, her blue tunic streaming behind her. Boba caught his breath when he saw her, unsure of what to do. She was the very thing he was running from, and the very thing he did not want to leave. He glanced at the door controls, then let his hand fall from them.
The hangar was deserted, save for Slave I, because of Boba's antics earlier that day. With nothing to impede her, Annbri reached Slave I in no time. She slowed as she reached the ramp, paused, and turned her brilliant blue eyes towards him. Her eyes always startled Boba, such a contrast were they to her caramel skin. Boba regarded her soundlessly from the top of the ramp.
Annbri felt suddenly shy. She walked slowly up to meet him, her eyes never leaving his visor, behind which she knew his own eyes were. When she was within a few feet of Boba, she stopped, glanced down at her shoes, then back up at him. "I wanted to say goodbye," she said quietly, "and thank you."
Amused, Boba asked, "What did I do?"
In answer, Annbri walked past him into the ship. Boba followed her to the cage area, where she stopped by the cell that had been hers. She rested her head against the bars, her back to him. "Remember? Just two weeks ago that was my home. Just two weeks ago I hated you."
Fett knew he should tell her to leave, just say goodbye and be done with her forever, but he couldn't. "Do you still hate me?"
"No, I...I don't...I," She turned around, and their eyes met, "I wanted to tell you that."
Boba stepped closer to her, his free hand gently gripping her jaw, much the way he had when he had caught her coming up behind him two weeks ago. He tilted her face towards his, pressing her body against him. "This time I snuck up on you," he whispered.
"I don't mind," she replied quietly, her arms snaking around his neck.
"Good." A guilty feeling of elation swept over Boba Fett as he clutched the trembling woman to him. What a difference a few days had made. Before, they were becoming closer; now, they were being torn apart.
"So I suppose now is when we part and never see each other again," Annbri said quietly, pressing her head to his chest, hearing his heart beating-- was it just her, or had it quickened?
Boba tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You know I can't stay here. I'm a bounty hunter, and you're Princess Danja of the royal house of Van Dessel."
"No," she said firmly, pushing him away a little so to better look him in the eye. "To you I'm always Annbri."
"Annbri was my captive, my partner, and my friend. I taught Annbri how to fire a blaster and eat a salad on Henber. You're royalty now, and I can't be part of your life."
"But I-"
"Don't say it. We can't." He pushed her away and pretended to be busy checking his gauntlets so that he didn't have to meet her eyes. "You'll find someone else, Danja, someone you can love without fear."
She understood. "Annbri," she corrected quietly as she began to leave.
Boba fumbled in his pocket and withdrew a palm-sized white box. He caught her hand and pressed the box into it.
She looked at him questioningly. "What is it for?"
"If you ever need me...use this. It's the codes to contact me directly through my helmet comm. Use it with a regular communications machine."
"Thank you." Not trusting herself to keep calm, she fled, silent tears drawing silver lines down her face.
Boba stood at the top of the ramp and watched her run. He felt as though he had swallowed a thermal detonator. Part of him wanted to run after her, to sweep her off her feet and carry her away with him to distant solar systems. The rational part of his mind won out, however, and when she was out of sight, he slammed the door controls with a typical Fett fist. Once more donning the Mandalorian helmet, he vowed to go back to the old Boba, the one he had been two weeks ago, and pretend he had never met Annbri or Danja or whoever she was. He would forget her; he would not miss her; he did not need her.
For five standard time units, he even thought he might be able to leave her completely. Shortly after Henber slid out of sight, replaced by the white tunnel that was hyperspace, he allowed himself a deep sigh. How long would it take to forget her? How long would it take for that dull ache in his chest to go away?